Alternative Investments

Alternative investments are hedge funds, managed futures and managed currency funds. The proponent of this asset class argues that it is not correlated to the traditional asset classes, for example, they can move in the opposite direction to equities.

This is suitable for short term investors, including professional fund managers, who are required to avoid showing a portfolio loss during a year.

For a long term investor, it is better to take the volatility and benefit from the average higher return over the long term. There is no point in investing in equities and than offsetting them by alternative investments. This strategy incurs high costs and reduces the return to the long term investor. It gives good fees to the professionals (i.e. fund managers).

If the investor wish to avoid volatility, it is better to invest in fixed income bonds, and accept a lower long term return. Do not invest in complicated structured products (including alternative investments) that gives you an even lower return.